Page 1 of 106 Full text of " The letters of Rusticus on the natural history of Godalming. Extracted from the Magazine of natural history, the Entomological magazine, and the Entomologist " Cbas. 5. Sawder. KooftacUera THE LIBRARY OF THE UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA PRESENTED BY PROF. CHARLES A. KOFOID AND MRS. PRUDENCE W. KOFOID ?b THE LETTERS OF RUSTICUS. LONDON : PRINTED BY EDWARD NEWMAN, 9, DEVONSHIRE STREET, BISHOFSGATE STREET. THE LETTERS OF RUSTICUS ON THE OF GODALMING EXTRACTED FROM THE MAGAZINE OF NATURAL HISTORY, THE ENTOMOLOGICAL MAGAZINE, AND THE ENTOMOLOGIST. LONDON: PRINTED FOR JOHN VAN VOORST, BOOKSELLER AND file://C:\Program Files\Abyss Web Server\htdocs\SBS\Documents\lettersofrusticu00n... 03/11/2009 Page 2 of 106 PUBLISHER, No. 1, PATERNOSTER ROW. M.DCCC.XLIX. Vi To me be Nature's volume broad-display *d ; And to peruse its all-instructing page, Or, haply catching inspiration thence, Some easy passage, raptured, to translate, My sole delight!' THOMSON. TO TO THE INDULGENT READER. HE papers now for the first time associ- ated, were addressed, many years ago in the form of letters, to the Editors of the ' Magazine of Natural History/ of the ' Entomological Magazine/ and the ' Entomologist.' For years past I have observed partial reprints of these letters published from time to time, with or without ac- knowledgment, sometimes tolerably correct, sometimes greatly altered and mutilated; and I have also observed that such partial reprints have been favourably mentioned both by those who produced and those who read them. These circumstances led me to consider the propriety of issuing the whole as a complete although fragmentary work. The copyright had long since passed into my hands, and I had only to deliberate on the chances of the success likely to attend the venture. Having at length concluded on making the trial, a dif- ficulty arose in finding an editor who would undertake to collect and arrange the papers. This was scarcely a print- er's task ; and yet, as I read and re-read letter after letter, I felt so carried back to the scenes of my boyhood, I seemed so 050486 vi. PRINTER'S ADDRESS. so fully to understand and appreciate the remarks of the writer, I felt so intimately acquainted with the localities, that I at last arrived at the conviction, that although many might bring more ability, none could bring greater good will to the task. If it could be denominated a labour at all, it would at least be a labour of love. Accordingly in 1845 I commenced the reprint which is only now completed. Having no eager author at my el- bow, assuring me that the reading public were languishing for the appearance of the ' Letters of Rusticus,' and that their immediate publication was a matter of national im- portance, I have been very slothful about the matter, re- turning to it now and then as a kind of relaxation, and have spread over three years what a sanguine author w^ould file://C:\Program Files\Abyss Web Server\htdocs\SBS\Documents\lettersofrusticu00n... 03/11/2009 Page 3 of 106 not have allowed me as many weeks to complete. For the foot-notes, except where the name of the writer is given, I alone am responsible. I have only appended such as seemed to assist and illustrate the text, endeavour- ing to abstain from that kind of note-writing which smo- thers the author under unnecessary comment. For the use of original sketches of the parish church of Godalming, Eashing Mill from the Bridge, the Leather Mill on the Wey at the back of Godbold's, and Hatch from the Pond, I am indebted to my kind friend and relation Mr. Waring Kidd. To Mr. Salmon's unwearying assi- duity and kindness I owe the admirable paper on Botany, and a great portion of that on Ornithology. Finally, from the pages of that inexhaustible storehouse of Natural-His- tory lore, the ' Zoologist,' I have extracted several admi- rable papers, containing collateral evidences from the pens of our best observers. EDWARD NEWMAN, PRINTER. An Account of the Matters contained in this Book. CHAPTER I. Situation and Soil of Godalming, 1 . Hollow, sandy Lanes, 3. Birds'-nest- ing, 5. Wild Cat, 6. Black Grous, 7. Sand Martin, 8. Hooded Crow, 9. Ring Ouzel, 10. Migration of Birds, 11. Screech Owl, 12. Woodcock, 14. Water Rail, 15. Eared Grebe, 16. CHAPTER II. Old Pond, 17. Moorhen, 18. Titmouse, 19. Dabchick, 20. Great North- em Diver, 21. Wild Swan, 22. Singing of Swans, 23. CHAPTER III. Fern Owl, 25. Furze-Wren, 27. Crossbill, 28. Siskin, Lesser Redpole, 29. Chaffinch, Blackcap, 30. Nightingale, 31. CHAPTER IV. Trip to the Isle of Wight, 33. Fresh-water Gate, 34. Chase of a Smuggler, 35. Fresh-water Cliffs, 36. Multitude of Birds, 37. Unsuccessful Shooting, 38. Colony of Corvorants, 39. Passage through the Needles, 41. CHAPTER V. Lobster Pots, 41. Corvorants, 42. Sea-birds' Eggs, 43. Egg Collectors, 44. Eggs stolen by Gulls, and how, 45. Eggs stolen by Ravens, and how, 46. Wounded Corvorant, 47. Crab Race, 48. Ring Dotterels and Purres, 49. Singular Larva of Cicindela campestris, 50. Habits of the Ant-Lion as observed at Marseilles, 52. Migration, 5cc., of Puffin, 53. Vlll. CONTENTS. CHAPTER VI. Blights, or Insects injurious to Vegetables, 35. Gooseberry-Grub, 56. The Fly described, 57. Laying the Eggs, 58. The young Grub, 59. Vo- racity of the Grubs, 60. The Grub described, 61. Change of Skin, 62. Burrows in the Earth, 63. Popular Remedies, 64. Aphis or Plant- Louse, 65. Injury it causes, 66. Economy of, 67. Hop-Fly, 73. In- fluence on Crop of Hops, 74. Influence on the Duty, 75. First Ap- pearance of, 76. Insect-enemies of, 77. Remedies, 79. American Blight, 80. Apple Weevil, 81. Descriptions of, 82. Economy of, 83. file://C:\Program Files\Abyss Web Server\htdocs\SBS\Documents\lettersofrusticu00n... 03/11/2009 Page 4 of 106 Remedies, 84. Apple-Moth, 85. Apple-Grub, 86. Economy of, 87. Little Ermine Moth, 88. Yellow-Tail, 90. Turnip-Fly, 91. Destruc- tive Powers of, 92. Economy of, 93. Remedies, 94. Turnip-Nigger, 99. Description of Parent Fly, 100. Economy of, 101. Description of the Grub, 102. Remedies, 104. Turnip-Weevil, 105. Turnip-Aphis, 106. Aphides in Apples, Poplar-leaves and on Roots, 106. Ants and Aphides, 108. .* . CHAPTER VII. Hedgehog, 109. Hibernation of, 110. Error in defending it as a Herbivo- rous Animal, 11 1. Shown to be a Poacher, 112. Destroys Vipers, 113, and is generally Carnivorous, 115. Long-tailed Tit, 116. Dabchick, 117. Hare, 118. Weasel hunts Rats, 119, as well as Rabbits, 121. Flowering of the Aspen, 122. Coccus of the Vine, 123. Flies and Humble-Bees, 125. Burying-Beetle in Russia, 127, in England, 128. APPENDIX. A. An Outline of the Flora of the Neighbourhood of Godalming, in the County of Surrey ; with Brief Notices of the Geological Features of the District. By J. D. SALMON, Esq., 131. B. Account of the Black Canker Caterpillar, which destroys the Turnips in Norfolk. By WILLIAM MARSHALL, Esq. Published in the ' Philoso- phical Transactions ' of the Royal Society for 1783, 146. C. An Outline of the Ornithology of Godalming, in the County of Surrey ; with brief Records of some of the Rarer Birds. By EDWAED NEWMAN, 150. SITUATION OF GODALMING. THE PARISH CHURCH OF GODALMING CHAPTER I. GODALMING is situate thirty-four miles S.S.W. of Lon- don, in the county of Surrey; the town stands in a low situation on the river Wey, and is completely surrounded by little hills, the various ascents of which present pleasing prospects in every direction. The soil is a bright red sand, which extends from the chalky range of cold, poverty- B 2 SOIL OF GODALMING. stricken downs crossing the country from Reigate to Farn- ham. Between the chalk and the sand is an exceedingly narrow tract of blue clay, sometimes scarcely ten yards in width. These three distinct soils do not gradually inter- mingle, but are separated by the most abrupt transition, and their effect on the produce, where the three soils occur in the same field, is very marked. The sandy soil produces a variety of surface ; in most parts it is excessively poor, and wholly unprofitable to man : in some of the low bot- toms it becomes an almost continuous marsh, occasionally presenting large sheets of water ; these ponds, in the pro- cess of time, enrich the soil which they cover, and make it file://C:\Program Files\Abyss Web Server\htdocs\SBS\Documents\lettersofrusticu00n... 03/11/2009 Page 5 of 106 worth the expense of draining ; thus, the once fine piece of water known as Old Pond, has been embanked, divided, drained and filled, at different times and in various ways, until nearly an hundred acres have been redeemed and devoted to agriculture ; still, it is a pool of respectable dimensions.* In many places, this labour would be ill bestowed, and there are fine pools of water which have existed for centuries all along the valley that winds by Peperharrow, Elsted, Frensham, Thursley, the Pudmoors, Headly, &c. Ascending thence by Bramshot to Liphook, we find a tract producing coarse sour grass, heath, furze and hurts, or whortleberries, but light and dry, and easily scattered by the wind; this is a peculiar character of Hind- head. Wherever the sand bears the red tint of iron, the chief natural produce is furze ; but this colour, as we pro- ceed westward, yields to a blue tint. The two colours stain the wool of the sheep which range the wastes, and the red and blue are very conspicuous in their fleeces, the blue * In 1832.